Abstract:
Societies are composed of one or more sets of norms for interpersonal interactions. These norms differ from society to society, but the need for an institution within which to socialize children and young adults into the norms of their society does not differ. The family has been the primary institution for this socialization, but it has been joined in the past three centuries by other institutions. In the United States and Great Britain, public schools and the Boy Scouts became socializing institutions which supplement the family in turning children into good citizens. The language surrounding the founding of each made the purpose of these institutions clear. An examination of the history of each will show a change in their attitudes toward their purpose. The societal norms within which these institutions exist have changed and the Boy Scouts in particular have resisted changing the norms they socialize.
